Luena is the capital of the district of Moxica, in Angola, and reflects the urban reality that increasingly denotes many African cities. Poverty and heavy urban expansion, following major migration from the rural zones, have favoured the endemic spread of alcoholism, delinquency and the HIV virus, factors that have a devastating effect on the young.

For some time the Salesian bishop of Luena, inspired by the teachings of Don Bosco, has promoted various sporting activities for the young, mainly concentrated in the evening when the dangers of the city are even more insidious. By playing football, volleyball and basketball, and doing capoeira, not only are the children away from the streets, they learn important values such as altruism, respect, discipline and loyalty. The town bishop, who works together with the local nuns, is currently working on a project that would involve the school of St. Bento, where he would like to begin the development of a number of floodlit sports pitches that could also be used in the evenings. The aim is to educate 800 youngsters from the districts close to the school, and to enable girls, traditionally excluded from sports, to join in with the boys. The work to construct the facilities will be divided into two phases: the first involves the building of a perimeter wall, which will cost €75,000, whilst the second will comprise the renovation of the basketball court and the lighting of the pitches, for a total of €53,000.